25 x Live Adult Ladybirds - Natural pest Control

Product Information

Ladybirds often huddle together over winter sometimes in very high numbers and sometimes in small groups. As soon as the day length increases in late winter and early spring the ladybirds begin to stir but they often return to the group at the end of the day until the temperatures increase. Simply open the container and lodge it in foliage for the ladybirds to emerge naturally. If, after a few hours, some adults are left inside, gently tip them out onto the infested plants. spot ladybirds are often found feeding on aphids in deciduous trees such as lime and sycamore but are also common on garden shrubs including roses and many crop plants. In recent years, there have been dramatic declines in this previously common and widespread ladybird.

Visit our garden wildlife section for more about British wildlife Why attract ladybirds into your garden? Ladybirds are adaptable to several different environments, such as grasslands, cities, forests, suburbs and rivers. They are most active during spring and summer when they can be seen wandering between plants, but in the colder months, they’re in search of somewhere warm to hibernate, meaning that they often end up inside houses. They like to group together too, which can make for a rather alarming sight when they are discovered by homeowners! The spread of the harlequin ladybird is deemed to be the fastest of any invasive species in the UK and it is of concern because it is a faster breeder than our native species and, unlike our native ladybirds, it eats non-pest species, including the eggs and larvae of native ladybirds and the caterpillars of butterflies. Many species are named after a number of spots. 2-spot, 7-spot and 10-spot ladybirds are all common. Counting the spots is not always a good way to identify them though, as the number of spots can vary a lot.Orange ladybirds feed on mildew growing on the leaves of deciduous trees. Once considered an indicator of ancient woodland, orange ladybirds have expanded in range dramatically in recent decades and are found on trees in many different habitats. In most cases, groups of ladybirds are dominated by one species, but it is not uncommon to see a few interlopers. Two-spot ladybirds are sometimes seen nestled within aggregations of the much larger harlequin ladybird. Ladybirds are the best known beneficial insect and a welcome sight in the garden, where they happily munch away on greenfly and other tasty pests. By releasing ladybirds (available as adults and / or larvae) in your garden you can boost their numbers, which will lead to a permanent decrease in the number of pests in your garden i.e. aphids. Each ladybird will eat about 5000 aphids and will soon produce ladybird larvae which in turn also eat aphids. Finished for this year – available again in 2024.

As with many other ladybirds, harlequin ladybird primarily feeds on aphids and so can be considered a useful addition to garden insect fauna. However, this ladybird will also feed on many other insects, including scale insects, eggs and larvae of butterflies and moths,other small insects including other ladybirds and it can be cannibalistic. There was a fear that the harlequin ladybird will out-compete some of the native aphid predators and lead to a decline in their numbers.Evidence in Britain so far is mixed with some native ladybirds showing no declines in the presence of the harlequin and others becoming less common; research is on-going. This is similar to the experiencein parts of the USA where the harlequin ladybird was originally introduced from Japan as a biological control for aphids. Harlequin ladybirds in buildings

What are ladybirds?

There are thousands of ladybird species worldwide with recent studies suggesting there are more than 6000! Or revisit the summer activity from 2008 to make somewhere near you into a minibeast home for ladybirds and other tiny wildlife. British wildlife is under threat. The animals and plants that make our island unique are facing a fight to survive. Hedgehog habitats are disappearing, porpoises are choking on plastic and ancient woodlands are being paved over.

When aphid (greenfly) populations are high, they supply ample food for hungry ladybirds. But in colder months, food is less abundant and ladybirds must compete for food.Every year, more people are reading our articles to learn about the challenges facing the natural world. Our future depends on nature, but we are not doing enough to protect our life support system. This Ladybird House is designed to simulate the natural habitat sought by ladybirds for hibernation helping more of these beneficial insects survive the winter. Position a Ladybird House in your garden to encourage ladybirds to feed, breed and over-winter in your garden leading to a permanent increase in the number of these beneficial insects. A ladybird is a beetle, so it has hardened forewings, or elytra, which form the distinctive protective cover for the abdomen and hind wings with which they fly. They are up to about 1cm long, quite rounded in shape and with brightly coloured, usually spotted, elytra. Woodlands are the favoured habitat of cream-spot ladybirds but it can be found in gardens and other habitats too where it feeds on aphids and psyllids. When you are collecting your pine cones, leaves and twigs outside, avoid natural piles of these items - they might already be a home for wildlife.